President Edgar Lungu says his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan is desirous of enhancing bilateral relations between Zambia and Turkey.

President Lungu said President Erdogan informed him during a high-level bilateral meeting that he was committed to improving diplomatic and trade relations between the two countries.

The President said Mr Erdogan has promised to visit Zambia soon.

The Head of State said this shortly before departure for Zambia after attending Mr Erdogan’s inauguration.

President Lungu was in Ankara to attend Mr Erdogan’s inauguration ceremony as Turkey’s first executive President under the new presidential system of Government

“Well from us from Zambia being part of the invited guests, I think we have learnt a lot. We want to see how we can enhance our bilateral cooperation between Zambia and Turkey,” President Lungu said

He said he was happy that the ministers and other officials in his delegation held fruitful meetings with the Turkish private sector comprising investors interested to invest in Zambia.

“We are already working with some of the private partners like in the energy sector. I have said in the past quoting some scholars who have said that there is no finishing line to development. I think mankind keeps developing. So In tourism, Turkey has done very well and in agriculture,” President Lunge said.

He said Zambia’s tourism and agriculture sectors are on the right development trajectory and it is through cooperation with countries like Turkey that they can record more growth.

“We are talking of value addition in Zambia, and I think that time is gone when African countries thrived by exporting raw materials and we want to export finished products and we can only do so if we industrialise our economies,” President Lungu said.

He said it is from that perspective that Zambia could benefit from agricultural practices such as agro-processing in Turkey to learn best practices in value addition in order for the country to export finished products as opposed to raw goods.

Mr Lungu said Government has added a new dimension to economic diplomacy by ensuring ministers include businessmen in their delegations to explore possible public private partnerships (PPP.

“So I think that it will not be ministerial trips anymore it will be business trips, ministers accompanied by businessmen visiting to see how they can cooperate in public private partnerships.

“And I think criticism will always be there , come to think of it, every time the President goes out of the country there is a lot of talk but I think that it is worth it,” President Lungu said.

Meanwhile, President Lungu’s plane took off from Ankara Esenboga Airport at 09:40 hours local time.

The President was seen off by Zambia’s Ambassador designate to the Republic of Turkey, Mr Joseph Chilengi.

He was accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Joseph Malanji Presidential Affairs Minister Freedom Sikazwe, Minister of National Development Planning, Alexander Chiteme, Mwembeshi member of Parliament (MP) Machila Jamba, Lunte MP, Mutotwe Kafwaya and Chama South Davison Mung’andu and Special Assistant to the President for Economic and Development Affairs Hibeene Mwiinga.

Some cooked up generic statements from Edgar …he is just embarassed to say he attended the inauguration they shook hands and exchanged a few pleasantries and that was it. Now post his fake austerity measures announced he feels he has to lie about the great benefits Zambia will attain from his mindless travels

Lungu never even met the Turkish President and journalist ended up taking this picture with a soldier! What was the point of going all the way only to be given audience by a junior soldier! They didn’t even recognise Lungu’s attendance – but we told about Sudan, Eriterea and war torn Somalia! I am sure Lungu looked foolish because he has come back empty handed after wasting so much of tax payers’ money!

This trip coming on the back of his pronouncing austerity measures is like a slap in the faces of the people that Edgar Lungu is taking so much for granted. He could not attend the AU summit in Mauritania because the agenda was on fighting corruption and it would have been humiliating for him to be at such a summit when his hands are dripping with the scourge so he sent the Inonge to represent him! Who is fooling who?

What have they learnt? Every time, everywhere learning with no results … bwafya. Have confidence in yourselves people- Mr Lungu, you always go around praising other countries and psychologically killing the creativity capability of your own people. Build grass root capacity in Zambia, build trade schools, colleges and put standards in place. Stop stealing government funds from those inflated construction contracts. Have laws to guide the signing , execution, and abrogation of contractual agreements and abide by them.

The problem is not the lack of ideas and technical know-how in Zambia, but lack of political will, misplaced priorities and corruption. The number of trips made since August 2016 and the economical growth indicators are proving that the correlation coefficient is -1. The trips are just draining the little left in our national coffers that could have been used for investment. Next time, google those ideas please.

Is it true that Satanists oppose God and deny Jesus? Is it true that some, however, may even attend church such as SDA or any other church? Is it true that Satanist oppose the kingdom of God violently and oppose salvation through Jesus Christ? Is true that Three Mansions also do the same, albeit subtly?

Let us learn from one another! Turkey has something we can learn from! They also need Jesus! All the 7 Churches spoken about in Revelation were in Turkey! It is sad that the country has been overrun by Islam. I pray that God may rekindle the faith in Turkey so that JESUS may be Lord there Hagain! I met a believer from Turkey in 1995 in RSA, it was such a joy! Go President Lungu, go and make ’em jealous! Their boy will NEVER be there in similar capacity!

KKKKK! Zambia’s Great man Lungu only to be received by a low ranking officer. He never even met the Turkish leader – so what was the point going all the way to Turkey wasting our money! He doesn’t even have shame to be saluting this low low officer – a lesson to Lungu to learn staying at home. He could have sent an ambassador to represent us there. Shame great man ECL 2021!